ECOWAS turns to Africa’s richest man to drive intra-regional investment agenda

Aliko Dangote has been appointed as the inaugural chairman of the newly established ECOWAS Business Council, a move that signals the bloc’s intention to deepen private-sector participation in West Africa’s economic integration efforts.

• Aliko Dangote has been named the pioneer chairman of the new ECOWAS Business Council.
• The appointment is part of the bloc’s strategy to deepen private sector participation in West Africa’s economic agenda.
• ECOWAS says the council will help drive intra-regional investment and expand sub-regional trade.
• Commission president Omar Touray says Dangote’s experience positions him to guide the council through its early phase.

The announcement was made by Omar Touray, president of the ECOWAS Commission, during the opening of the ninety-fifth ordinary session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers in Abuja on Wednesday, December 10.

The council is expected to serve as a bridge between businesses, governments, and ECOWAS institutions, to improve subregional trade and mobilise West African capital for development.

Touray said the decision reflects Dangote’s long-standing experience in building large-scale enterprises across the continent.

“I’m happy to report that Alhaji Aliko Dangote has accepted this regional role,” he said, adding that the council will help bring private sector actors into core conversations on economic integration.

Touray noted that interest in intra-regional investment is on the rise, citing recent initiatives such as the Forum Senegal Invest in Senegal, the West African Economic Summit in Nigeria, and the Invest in District Savanes meeting in Cote d’Ivoire.

He also disclosed that Sierra Leone has submitted a proposal to host its own West Africa Economic Investment Summit.

According to the ECOWAS Commission, the growing appetite for homegrown investment underscores the need for a structured platform for regional businesses to collaborate on trade, infrastructure development, and cross-border opportunities.

Touray said the business council will encourage more coordinated efforts to channel local capital into transformative projects rather than relying heavily on external financing.

He expressed confidence in Dangote’s capacity to steer the council through its formative stages and help shape a more competitive and interconnected West African market.